Research shows the number of Black women experiencing postpartum depression could be as high as 44%. Ohio clinics are working on ways to better improve screening and mental-health support for these moms.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
Debbie Gingrich, chief program officer at Best Point Education and Behavioral Health in Cincinnati, explained that risk factors associated with depression often begin before the baby is born and include a personal or family history of depression, an unplanned pregnancy, having diabetes or other health complications, along with less obvious signs of mental distress.
“And then, kind of this sense of impending doom, or feeling like something bad is going to happen,” she said. “Those are some common symptoms of anxiety.”
In a CDC survey, around 30% of Black women reported being mistreated during maternity care, and 40% said they experienced discrimination. A bill being considered by Ohio House lawmakers would designate the week of April 11-17 as Black Maternal Health Week.
Gingrich said women are commonly screened for postpartum depression about six months after their baby is born, but added that a one-size-fits-all model isn’t the best approach for supporting new moms.
“That may not be soon enough, and it may not be late enough,” she said. “So I think we need to be thinking about ongoing, who’s connected with mom, to help screen.”
Black women also face numerous barriers in accessing health care and are more likely to develop diabetes, hypertension and other chronic diseases than white women, as well as being burdened with medical debt.
This story was produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.
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